Total Pageviews

June 6, 2014

I recently started a youtube channel and I will be posting more of the videos from that channel here in the coming weeks. Following is a lyric/translation video of the Bhagat Namdev's shabad "Karima Rahima Allah Tu Gani" in Raag Tilang.

Central idea: This shabad inspires us to remember that compassion lives at the doorstep of our hearts. We often don't open the door at our heart and let this compassion come in, but it is there. It is present here and now. Importance of Rahao: Despite this being a popular shabad, I couldn't find any recordings that used the rahao tuk as the refrain. The shabad is usually sung beginning with the line "Main Andhale Ki Tek." The more I meditated on Gurbani, the more I have found that the essence of any shabad is most easily understood through the "Rahao tuk." Therefore, in my newer compositions like this, I try to adhere to the Rahao tuk as the refrain.

Raag Tilang: The shabad has been sung in the traditional form of Raag Tilang. Most of Tilang compositions these days are in Mishra Tilang in which komal gandhar and several other notes are added.

Taal: While one can sing this composition in Dadra, it really is a 24 beat taal with 4 cycles of 6 beats each. Repetition of long cycle taals add to the meditative aspect of any composition. Unfortunately, such long-cycle taals are becoming extinct in this day.

Recording: The melodic composition of this shabad is only around 2 years old. I recorded the music on my laptop mostly during a trip to the east coast. I recorded the vocals in my home studio in Northern California. The harmony track was added by a friend, Fontain Riddle, who is an accomplished singer and songwriter from Southern California. I thought this was apt for Fontain to sing because her son's name is Karim. Fontain is married to my high school friend Farhan Khan who plays the guitar and the sitar.
Read more ...

October 3, 2012

Last month I had the pleasure of singing this evergreen shabad at my parent's anniversary celebration kirtan. I first sang the shabad in the old Pahadi raag tune and then a dhanasri tune. Dhanasri is the Raag of thanksgiving (see earlier post: The Meaning Behind Raag Dhanasri)

January 8, 2011

In the hope that I can prosper love in myself, I have been singing "Jin Prem Kiyo" in Raag Asa, or the Raag of Hope. I just recently published a version of what I have been singing at home. If you don't see a widget above this paragraph, you can go here to listen to it: Jin Prem Kiyo - Raag Asa

September 8, 2010

One of the readers of the blog wrote to me recently about the usage of a real Tanpura versus electronic shruti boxes.

I must say having a well tuned tanpura resonating near your ear helps in recognizing and consolidating harmonies (its the same reason why avergae singers sing a lot more in tune in a 4-part choir). However, tuning, bridging and threading, apart from finger pressure and positioning, make tanpura playing an art; if you have not done it for a long time, it is not as easy to learn as it would seem. It might actually be quite cumbersome if you are in the middle of learning vocal technique.

July 23, 2010

Following the posting of a new shabad in Raag Dhanasri earlier this week (Ab Main Kaun Upao Karoon), I received a couple of inquiries on how to sing Dhanasri. People often ask me about styles of singing, and especially definitions of several raags. And because I get these questions often, I think its appropriate to put the response on the blog.

The request reminded me of my last lengthy discussion on Dhanasari -- which was memorable one. A few years ago one beautiful afternoon, after the normal Gurudwara program, I had the fortune of sitting with the gifted Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shaant and his jatha in the Norwalk Gurudwara in Connecticut, and we were sharing Dhanasari bandishes with each other; In his opinion this would be categorized as a Thumri in Dhanasari, not a Khayal, the more popular Kirtan style prevalent nowadays. The best way to learn the musical aspects of Dhanasri is to listen to accomplished musicians sing it. Please see a Compilation of Dhanasri Shabads for more examples of singing Dhanasri.

July 20, 2010

Following is a recording of Guru Tegh Bahadur's shabad "Ab Main Kaun Upao Karoon" that I recently finished mastering. This is the first of six shabads I collaborated with Pandit Rajendra Prasanna, an eminent classical musician from Delhi. The shabad is sung in Raag Dhanasri, and a downloadable version of this shabad, like others, is available on Reverbnation. Hopefully I will post some more shabads from that collaboration, and from others that I currently am in.

May 12, 2010

Over one of the recent weekends, I had the chance to listen to the wonderful Asa ki Vaar at a residence in California. Bhai Kultar Singh sang some shabads that we used to hear from his father, Bhai Avtar Singh. I had my iPhone with me so I recorded two of the shabads.

About Me

I, Shivpreet Singh, live in San Ramon California with my family. I have been involved with classical music and kirtan for over 2 decades now. I trained under the guruship of Pandit Raghunath Prasanna of the Banaras Gharana in Delhi. I then studied western classical music at UC Berkeley while doing my undergraduate degree.